the ONA take:

Online targeted advertising based on Google search terms may be an effective way to deliver targeted skin cancer prevention education, according to a study published in JAMA Dermatology.

A research team led by Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, of University of California San Francisco created a series of brief advertisements about the potential harms of indoor tanning that would appear on Google searches for tanning beds.

“Indoor tanning is a preventable risk factor for skin cancer that accounts for almost half a million new malignancies per year,” said Linos. “More than 1 in 5 adolescents and more than half of all college students use tanning beds, which makes them especially vulnerable.”

The most successful ad was found to be viewed by nearly 200,000 users, with a 1% clickthrough rate for users who wanted more information, which was considered commercially viable for online advertising.

“Using online advertising for prevention is a brand new approach, and potentially a game-changer for public health, but we still have a lot to learn,” noted Linos. “This is an incredible opportunity for targeted, cost-effective public health messages.”

Online targeted advertising based on Google search terms may be an effective way to deliver targeted skin cancer prevention education.

Online advertising based on Google search terms is a potentially effective way to deliver targeted cancer prevention education, according to a study led by Eleni Linos, MD, DrPH, an assistant professor of dermatology at UC San Francisco. Indoor tanning is a preventable risk factor for skin cancer that accounts for almost half a million new malignancies per year, said Linos.